Top 10 Car Audio Components

Picture your favorite way to listen to music. Is it at home, on a comfy couch, with a surround sound system? Is it at a computer with a pair of noise-cancelling headphones? As a general rule, it's nice to be able to hear music without interference from external sound. Cars produce quite a bit of noise, which can make them a less-than-ideal listening environment. That's where soundproofing comes in.

Unless you're driving a luxury car with an incredibly quiet interior, installing some simple soundproofing can help reduce engine noise. Less engine noise means a better listening experience. A popular choice is a sound deadening material called vinyl nitrile foam. Lining the car hood with soundproofing material will cut down on the rumble of the engine and make the car interior more peaceful [source: Nash].

Sound can sneak through the doors, too, but the same practice works there: Simply purchase a soundproofing kit and apply the material to the inside of the door to reduce road noise. Soundproofing.org details the process of lining a car hood with a piece of cut-out soundproofing foam and an adhesive to stick it to the hood of a car. Sites like Parts Express sell inexpensive sheets of foam soundproofing for less than $5. Another option is sound dampening foam. When it's sprayed in a door or some nook or cranny, it dampens vibrations and reduces unnecessary noise.

Nine down, one to go. What could be left for any car audio system? It's soundproofed, packed to the brim with speakers and amplifiers that are all tied to a powerful and flexible receiver. There's only one last step to take: enter into the realm of video.